Panhandle PBS Appoints Industry Veteran Matt Franklin as Station Manager

Panhandle PBS is pleased to announce that Matt Franklin has joined the station as Station Manager, effective May 1. A senior public media leader with over 20 years of experience, Franklin brings an extensive background in nonprofit broadcast operations, content strategy, and organizational performance to the Texas Panhandle. 

Franklin joins Panhandle PBS following a career rooted in public broadcasting, most notably serving as Vice President of TV Operations at Lakeshore Public Media, a PBS affiliate serving the Chicago region and Northwest Indiana. In that role, he led all aspects of production, programming, and broadcast operations, overseeing a team of more than 25 staff while guiding the station’s content strategy across broadcast and digital platforms. 

At Lakeshore, Franklin helped expand the station’s local and national presence by developing award-winning original programming and building strategic relationships with independent producers and storytellers. He played a key role in bringing externally produced content to the station and elevating it to wider audiences, including nationally distributed series such as Classical Stretch and The Whitney Reynolds Show and documentaries like Shifting Sands. His work helped position Lakeshore as both a hub for regional storytelling and a contributor to the broader PBS system.

Beyond programming, Franklin focused on strengthening the connection between the station and its community. He worked with local organizations, universities, and cultural partners to develop content that reflected regional voices, while ensuring the station’s operations supported consistent, high-quality storytelling across platforms.

“Public media has a unique responsibility to reflect the communities it serves while also connecting those stories to a broader audience,” said Franklin. “What excites me most about Panhandle PBS is the opportunity to work with a talented and committed team to elevate the voices, experiences, and perspectives of Amarillo and the surrounding region. In partnership with Amarillo College, there is a strong foundation for impact, and I look forward to building on that by expanding local storytelling, deepening community connections, and sharing those stories more broadly across the public media system.”

Prior to his time at Lakeshore, Franklin held production and post-production leadership roles in both broadcast and agency environments, including work with national networks and leading creative organizations. Most recently, he served as Communications Manager at Wabash, where he led internal and external storytelling initiatives and supported enterprise-wide communications strategy for a multi-billion-dollar enterprise.

In his new role, Franklin will oversee station operations, content development, fundraising, and community partnerships, with a focus on strengthening Panhandle PBS’s role as a trusted source of education, culture, and civic engagement across the Texas Panhandle.

“Matt brings a deep understanding of public media and a clear commitment to mission-driven storytelling,” said Kevin Ball, vice president for Communications and Marketing at Amarillo College. “His experience building teams, developing content, and connecting local stories to national audiences will be invaluable as we continue to grow and serve our community.”

Franklin holds a Master of Fine Arts in film & television production from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Arts in telecommunications from Purdue University. He has also contributed to national public media initiatives through his involvement with organizations such as the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) and the Public Media Business Association.

About Panhandle PBS

Panhandle PBS serves the Texas Panhandle with high-quality educational programming, local storytelling, and community engagement across broadcast and digital platforms. As a PBS member station, it is committed to enriching lives through content that informs, inspires, and connects.